西雅圖最古老的同性戀酒吧慶祝成立35週年：創辦人回顧過去的鬥爭與成就

In Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, there's a gay bar called Changes, founded 35 years ago by Floyd McIssac. McIssac, who was working at Sears at the time, bought the bar to pay for his car with little expectation.

麥克伊薩克回憶起，1989年他已經對國會山莊的酒吧景象感到厭倦。對於居住在運河以北的人來說，前往酒吧不僅麻煩，而且缺乏一種公共的感覺。他渴望創建一個像“乾杯”那樣的經典跳水酒吧，一個“每個人都知道你名字”的地方。

為了實現這一目標，麥克伊薩克對西雅圖其他同性戀酒吧進行了詳細的分析，列出了他喜歡和不喜歡的所有事情。他將牆壁漆成黑色，營造出典型的舊金山空間感覺，安裝了電視和音響系統，舉辦了萬聖節服裝比賽，並自豪地聲稱提供的獎品比鎮上任何其他酒吧都多。他還特意選擇了高桌和椅子，讓進入酒吧的人能夠融入人群之中。

On the occasion of the bar's 35th anniversary, The Stranger sat down with Mike Isaac for an in-depth conversation. He reflects on the history of the bar and his experiences as a young gay man visiting Seattle bars in the 1970s.

McIsaac recalls the first night of the opening, when the skies were snowing in what was probably one of the worst snowstorms they've ever experienced. Despite that, the bar's opening drew about 30 people, which was a pretty good turnout for the time.

Gay bars have gone through a lot of changes over the past 35 years. McIsaac notes that when he first opened, Changes was primarily a men's bar, and a gay bar at that. But now, the trend has changed, with more and more heterosexuals entering these spaces. He emphasizes that while it will take some getting used to, he wants everyone to feel welcome and to make sure that the bar doesn't lose the gay vibe it has.

Having a space like this is important for the cool kids community. MacIsaac mentioned that people need places where they can actually sit down and talk to people and gain social skills. He emphasized that these spaces should be safe places where people feel welcome and accepted.

McIsaac's story is not just about a bar, it's about community, acceptance, and change Changes, Seattle's longest continuously operating gay bar, has witnessed many important moments in the gay community and continues to provide a warm, welcoming space for all.